Convention People's Party

The Convention People's Party (CPP) is a socialist political party in Ghana that was founded on 12 June 1949 by Kwame Nkrumah. Nkrumah left the conservative United Gold Coast Convention to found the more radical CPP, which sought immediate independence. In 1950, the party called for national boycotts and strikes, and it decisively won the 1951 elections. In 1957, Britain granted Ghana its independence, and the CPP dominated the country as a one-party dictatorship under Nkrumah. In 1958, Nkrumah outlawed public strikes and passed a law allowing for the government to detain opponents without trial. In 1964, the CPP was made the only legal party. In 1966, the CPP was overthrown by the National Liberation Council and outlawed, and it would not resurface until 1996, when the National Convention Party of Ghana and the People's Convention Party merged. However, it had a minuscule support base, and held no parliamentary representation.